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Context: Karnataka capital Bengaluru has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Indian city to join the prestigious World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF).
The World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF) is a global network of cities that collaboratively research and share intelligence to explore the important role of culture in shaping future prosperity.
With 40 member cities already in its portfolio, Bengaluru becomes the 41st member of the forum. The city’s inclusion was attributed to its dedication to an inclusive and globalized culture.
In the past year, the cultural essence of Bengaluru has been showcased through multimedia assets by WCCF as part of a collaborative project called 'Unboxing Bangalore'.
The WCCF will collaborate with the Unboxing BLR Foundation, and together, they plan to organize a ‘city festival’ to facilitate the exchange of cultural learning as part of the forum’s global outreach.
Bengaluru is seen as a microcosm of the new aspirational India, showcasing a vibrant design and theatre community, numerous museums, and a cosmopolitan food culture, which will be highlighted and structurally presented through the WCCF platform.
WCCF was established in 2012.
Justin Simmons, the Deputy Mayor of London for Culture and Creative Industries, was instrumental in its setting up.
In 2015, Queen Elizabeth recognized Justin Simmons' significant contribution to culture in London.
As a token of appreciation, Justin Simmons was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Known as the 'Silicon Valley of India', Bengaluru has more than 30 government and private museums. Notably, in 2019, India's first interactive music museum was inaugurated, and later in February 2020, the Museum of Art and Photography (MAP) opened, becoming the first major private art museum in South India.
At the core of Bengaluru's vibrant intellectual and cultural exchange is the Bengaluru International Centre, established in 2019 within a 20,000 sq ft renovated industrial warehouse. Another hub of creativity is the Bangalore Creative Circus, which acts as an urban living laboratory.
Bengaluru serves as a major centre for film production, especially hosting the Kannada film industry which produces over 100 films annually. In addition, the city has a rich musical heritage, which includes North Indian (Hindustani) and South Indian (Karnataka) classical music.
Living up to its title as the "Garden City of India", Bengaluru is adorned with many green spaces, notably the nationally acclaimed Botanic Garden, Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park. These green areas add to the natural charm and beauty of the city.
Context: A government panel tasked with improving the air quality in Delhi and its adjoining areas has made crucial changes to a set of anti-air pollution measures followed in the region in winter.
The changes include strict restrictions on the plying of overage vehicles and a complete ban on the use of coal and firewood in eateries, restaurants and hotels when the air quality index (AQI) breaches the 200 mark.
In addition, BS III petrol and BS IV diesel four-wheelers will be immediately if the AQI crosses the 400 mark.
The Bharat Stage (BS) Emission Standards (BSES) were introduced by the Government of India in 2000, and are set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under the Ministry of Environment.
‘BS’ stands for Bharat Stage, the emission regulation or fuel standards mandated by the government of India for motor vehicles.
BS-I was launched in 2000
BS-II in 2001 (nationwide in 2005)
BS-III in 2005 (nationwide 2010)
BS-IV in 2010 (nationwide 2017)
There is no BS-V, and BS-VI arrived in 2017 (nationwide 2020).
BS-VI or less polluting emission norms were mandated across the country from April 1, 2020, which meant that all new vehicles being manufactured after the norms were forced to comply with the new standards that cover four-wheelers, two-wheelers as well as commercial vehicles.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory body formed under an Act in 2021, had amended the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), first notified in 2017, in July last year also to ensure proactive implementation of anti-air pollution steps based on forecasts -- up to three days in advance.
GRAP is classified under four different stages of adverse air quality in Delhi
Stage I – ‘Poor’ (AQI 201-300)
Stage II – ‘Very Poor’ (AQI 301-400)
Stage III – ‘Severe’ (AQI 401-450)
Stage IV – ‘Severe Plus’ (AQI greater than 450)
The revised GRAP now recommends strict enforcement of the orders of the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal on overage diesel and petrol vehicles under Stage 1.
It also calls for a complete ban on the use of coal and firewood in eateries, restaurants and hotels if the AQI crosses the 200 mark
The new steps suggested in the revised GRAP include “strict action to curb air pollution at all identified hotspots in the region under Stage 2”.
Under Stage 3, states must impose strict restrictions on the plying of BS III petrol and BS IV diesel four-wheelers.
Context: Every year on July 29, people all across the world celebrate International Tiger Day. The purpose of the day is to increase public awareness of the value of tiger conservation among citizens, organizations, and governments.
It was first instituted in 2010 at the Tiger Summit in St Petersburg, Russia when the 13 tiger range countries came together to create Tx2, the global goal to double the number of wild tigers by the year 2022.
However, the designated date for achieving the goals of Tx2 saw uneven progress.
As per the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), while countries in Southeast Asia struggled to control population decline, India fared much better.
According to the Wildlife Institute of India's (WII) 5th tiger census (quadrennial), India’s tiger population increased to 3,682 in 2022 (revised from 3,167 recently), up from 1,411 in 2006, 1,706 in 2010, 2,226 in 2014 and 2,967 in 2018.
In 2022, the maximum number of tigers (785) were reported to be in MP, followed by Karnataka (563), Uttarakhand (560), and Maharashtra (444).
Nearly a quarter of the tigers were reportedly outside protected areas.
This is made possible because of political commitment, which led to governments, communities, conservation organisations, etc., working together.
The successes in India can be attributed largely to the success of Project Tiger, which celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this year (2023).
Habitat Fragmentation: The growing human population and developmental activities have led to the fragmentation of tiger habitats, affecting their dispersal and increasing human-tiger conflicts.
Quality of Forest Cover: The degradation of forest cover can impact prey availability and contribute to human-wildlife conflict, especially in regions like Central India and the Eastern Ghats.
Human-Wildlife Conflict: As tiger habitats shrink and corridors get disrupted, encounters between tigers and humans have increased, leading to conflicts and potential danger to both tigers and people.
Legal Framework Dilution: Some proposed amendments to environmental acts and the approval of projects in protected areas have raised concerns about the dilution of the legal framework supporting tiger conservation.
Project Tiger was launched by the Central government on April 1, 1973, at the Jim Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand) to promote conservation of the tiger.
According to reports, while there were 40,000 tigers in the country at the time of the Independence, they were soon reduced to below 2,000 by 1970 due to widespread hunting and habitat destruction.
In 1970, the IUCN declared the tiger as an endangered species.
The programme was initially started in 9 tiger reserves of different States such as Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, MP, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, UP and West Bengal, covering over 14,000 sq km.
Notably, Project Tiger didn’t just focus on the conservation of the big cats. It also ensured the preservation of their natural habitat as tigers are at the top of the food chain.
Today, there are 54 tiger reserves across India, spanning 75,000 sq km.
Nearly 75% of the global tiger population (in the wild) can today be found in India.
The goal of Project Tiger is to have a viable and sustainable tiger population in tiger habitats based on a scientifically calculated carrying capacity.
This means the tiger population of the country cannot be increased at the same pace because that will result in an increase in conflict with human beings.
Bengal tiger (subspecies Panthera tigris tigris) inhibits the forests, and wetlands of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.
It is distinguished from other tiger subspecies by its orange coat accented by prominent brownish-to-black stripes; a rare white-coated variant of the subspecies also exists.
The largest male Bengal tigers can grow up to about 3.2 metres long (including a 1 metre long tail) and weigh nearly 295 kg.
Females are smaller, the largest ones measuring about 2.7 metres long and weighing as much as 181 kg.
They are solitary hunters, preying primarily on ungulates (including deer and antelope), gaurs, and wild boars (Sus scrofa).
IUCN Red List: Endangered
Wildlife (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972: Schedule-1
Tiger Reserves: India’s tigers are mainly concentrated in 53 dedicated tiger reserves covering about 75,796 square km, which accounts for approximately 2.3% of the country’s total land area.
Successful Reserves: Reserves like Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand (260 tigers), Bandipur (150), and Nagarhole (141) in Karnataka have shown commendable success in tiger conservation.
Project Tiger: Launched in 1973, Project Tiger played a crucial role in conserving the species, ensuring not just the protection of tigers but also preserving their natural habitats.
Development with Ecological Sensibility: Upcoming infrastructure projects, like highways, are being planned with safe passageways for tigers and other animals to ensure minimal disruption to their movement.
Relocation and Rehabilitation: Relocation of human settlements from core areas of tiger reserves is incentivized to increase protected land and improve tribal livelihoods.
Conservation Commitment: The success of tiger conservation in India has come through the commitment of people, political will, and strong legal and policy frameworks.
Sustained Efforts: Despite the successes, continued efforts and vigilance are essential to ensure the continued growth of the tiger population and its harmonious coexistence with human communities.
Context: The upcoming Sixteenth Finance Commission faces several challenges due to critical changes since the formation of the Fifteenth Finance Commission, including the impact of COVID-19 and geopolitical issues. The government debt-GDP ratio has surged to around 90% by the end of 2020-21, and many states are grappling with significant fiscal imbalances.
First, it emphasises the need to correct excessive cesses.
Cesses are additional levies imposed on specific goods or services to fund specific purposes.
If not properly managed, excessive cesses can lead to distortions in the tax system and affect overall fiscal health.
Second, freezing the weight for the income distance criterion is proposed.
The income distance criterion is used by the Finance Commission to allocate funds to states based on their income disparities.
Freezing the weight for this criterion could have implications for how funds are distributed among states.
Lastly, the article calls for sharper monitoring of the fiscal deficit.
Fiscal deficit refers to the gap between a government’s total expenditure and its total revenue, which is often funded through borrowing.
Monitoring fiscal deficits closely is crucial to ensure responsible fiscal management and avoid unsustainable debt levels.
State’s share: The Fourteenth Finance Commission increased the share of States in central taxes to 42% (later revised to 41% for 28 States) but further increases may not be recommended due to the Centre's fiscal imbalances.
Setting upper limit: The 16th Finance Commission should scrutinize the heavy reliance on cesses and surcharges (18.5% of Centre's GTR) and consider setting an upper limit for these components, with an increase in States' share if exceeded.
Addressing lower income states: While some States argue for reducing the weight given to per capita income as a determining factor for shares, attention must be given to the needs of lower income States.
The share of individual states in the Centre’s divisible pool of taxes is determined by a set of indicators, including population, per capita income, area, and incentive-related factors.
The distance of a state’s per capita income from a benchmark, usually the average per capita income of the top three states, is used as a determining factor.
This distance criterion has the highest weight of 45%, and some richer states have argued for lowering its weight.
The article emphasizes the need to pay attention to the needs of lower income states.
While there may be discussions on freezing or reducing the weight of the distance criterion, it suggests that upward adjustments in resources transferred to poorer states may be made through grants.
Equalization of the provision of education and health services is highlighted as a priority in the overall scheme of resource transfers.
The suggestion is made to use the equalization principle in the transfer of resources to individual states.
This principle aims to balance the needs, costs of providing services, and equity considerations using a limited number of criteria such as population, area, and distance, supplemented by suitable grants
Above norms: The combined debt-GDP ratio of central and State governments peaked at 89.8% in 2020-21, well above the corresponding FRBM norms of 40% and 20% respectively. The fiscal deficit for the Centre was 9.2% of GDP, and for States, it was 4.1%, further deviating from the norms.
Re-examination: The 2018 amendment to the Centre's FRBM needs to be re-examined in light of the significant departures from debt and fiscal deficit to GDP ratios and the reduction of States' debt-GDP target to 20%.
Concerns: Concerns are raised about certain State governments having higher debt and fiscal deficit numbers relative to their GSDPs, often leading to increased fiscal deficits.
Establish an independent loan council: To oversee loan magnitudes and profiles of central and State governments, as recommended by the 12th Finance Commission.
Examine non-merit subsidies: Excluding 'unjustified' subsidies to avoid political controversies in grant determination.
State’s limits: Be strict about States adhering to fiscal deficit limits, offering rewards for compliant States, and penalties for those exceeding limits by controlling borrowing.
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek won her fourth title of the year and her first-ever at home by routing Laura Siegemund 6-0, 6-1 in the final of the Poland Open on Sunday( 31 July 2023)
The Central African Republic began voting on Sunday in a referendum on a new constitution that would allow President Faustin-Archange Touadera to seek a third term in a country which has endured several coups.
The central government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a USD 200 million loan as additional financing for the ongoing Rajasthan Secondary Towns Development Sector Project.
The Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam 2023 witnessed its inauguration at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi gracing the event.
Hunddreds of artefacts excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI ) from Benisagar, a village 85 kilometres from Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district, suggest continuous habitation from the fifth century A.D. to 16-17 century A.D.
The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) and the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) of Papua New Guinea signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for sharing India Stack, successful digital solutions implemented at population scale in New Delhi on 28 July.
For the first time, World Coffee Conference (WCC) will take place in India in September. The fifth edition of the global conference will take place from September 25 to 28 in Bengaluru.
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